Certainly not in a bizarre 48-game, post-lockout season in which most of Tallon's bargaining chips are either mending torn ligaments or carrying immovable contracts.

"We're not going to give up our good players to band-aid something to add some late picks,'' Tallon said in the quiet pressbox at BB&T Center. "We kept our calm, our patience, and had a lot of different possible deals on the table. We felt we [should] take our time and do the right thing overall.

"We're eight points out of first place with a game in hand and we've had 9-10 guys out of the lineup any different night. … I think we have a great future and we're not going to mess with it just because we had a hiccup in a short season.''

Instead of dealing promising youngsters, many who have helped build the Panthers modest three-game winning streak (all in post-regulation, a franchise record), he focused on keeping one in the fold when he signed 6-foot-6 University of Minnesota center Nick Bjugstad to an entry-level contract.

“I came back to win a national championship and things happen. We lost in overtime and that's a tough deal,’’ said Bjugstad, the 19th overall pick by the Panthers in 2010. “I thought this was right for my future, my development, to move onto the next level.’’

Tallon said Bjugstad will practice Friday and play Saturday against the Capitals, so the Panthers will lose a year of control over his free-agent rights. If they didn't sign him by the end of his senior year, the Panthers would've lost his draft rights.

"We wanted to get him signed, under the fold and get him some experience,'' Tallon said. "He's 6-6, 220 pounds, and only 20. Once he fills out and becomes a man [Erik Gudbranson and Quinton Howden fills out] … we're going to have some size, speed and skill.''

Bjugstad decided to forego his senior season with the Gophers where he scored 21 goals this season and 54 in 109 career games to turn pro.

The Panthers did shed some minor payroll while opening roster spots for young players when inconsistent forward Mike Santorelli was claimed by the Winnipeg Jets, and they sent fourth-line veteran center Jerred Smithson to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-round pick.

Santorelli, 27, who hasn't lived up to his 20-goal, 21-assist season of 2010-11 that netted him his first big NHL contract (two years for $3.2 million), was pulled from Panthers practice at Saveology.com Iceplex at about noon after coach Kevin Dineen told him he was leaving South Florida for chilly Winnipeg.

It was the third time that Santorelli had been put on waivers since June, and he was sent to the AHL earlier this season in the hope he would regain his confidence and scoring touch.

"Yeah, it kind of sucks the first time it happened,'' said an emotional Santorelli, who has just two goals and one assists in 24 games. "After that my mindset was to roll with it, get back to my game and let everything fall into place.''

It was less than a week ago that Santorelli notched one of his most memorable highlights as a Panther when he scored the winning goal in the 5-4 shootout win over the Sabres. Ironically, if the Lightning had tied the shootout up Tuesday, Santorelli was the Panthers' next shooter.

Smithson, 34, who was acquired from the Predators at last year's trade deadline, had just five points in 35 games, but led the Panthers with a 54.8 faceoff percentage, including 9-of-14 Tuesday. The Oilers, who are one point out of a playoff berth in the Western Conference, are last in the NHL with a 45 percent success rate.

Smithson, in the final season of his prorated $800,000 deal, was told of the trade after practice and just before heading to the hospital where his wife is preparing to give birth on Thursday.

"The [deadline] always go through your head this time of year regardless of who you are,'' Smithson said Tuesday the day before he was dealt. "You try not to let it bother you, not to let it get in your head. You worry about what you can control, that's your work ethic, your play and your attitude. If it happens, it happens.'' …

The Panthers also signed 6-2 defenseman Jonathan Racine, their third-round pick in 2011, to an entry-level deal.

Etc…

Tallon said that team wanted his veteran players such as Tomas Kopecky, Marcel Goc and Dmitry Kulikov but they weren't offering equal value.

"Of course teams call when you're at the bottom,'' Tallon said. "They think you're just going to panic and give up players. That's just not going to happen here.''

Tallon said that he talked with the agent of sidelined center Stephen Weiss on Friday and progress is being made on re-signing the unrestricted free agent this summer.

Tallon also said he is confident that he will re-sign center Peter Mueller (16 points) after the season when his one-year deal expires. …

Forward Jack Skille practiced and is ready to play after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury.